Automatic fabric picker-off and feeding machine



9, 1938. R. M. SMITH Er AL 2,126,147

AUTOMATIC FABRIC PICKER-OFFK AND FEEDING MACHINE I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filled Feb. 16, 1937 Aug. 9, 1938. R. M. SMITH ET AL EJ269147 AUTOMATICFABRIC PICIIER-QFF AND FEEDING MACHINE I Filed Feb 16, 1937 5Sheets-Sheet 2 l Aug. 9, 1938. R. M. SMITH ET AL AUTOMATIC FABRICPICKER-OFF AND FEEDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 16 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet aPatented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC FABRIC PICKER-OFF ANDFEEDING MACHINE Ricardo M. Smith and John G. Gogal, Passaic.

' Application February 16, 1937, Serial No. 125,994

3 Claims.

"This invention relates to a machine for the purpose of picking offindividual pieces from a pile or stack of cut or torn fabric material.

The commercial operation of this machine is for the purpose of pickingoff individual pieces of fabric material from a pile or stack lying atan angle to the machine and feeding the individual pieces to anotherpoint of process or manufacture. This machine will apply to all types ofwoven fabric.

The invention also consists of various details of constructions that aremore fully set forth hereinafter and finally embodied in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure 1 is a side view of our machine.

Figure 2 is a detail of our coated belt.

Figure 2a is an end view of Figure 2.

Figure 2b is a cross section of the belt.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a machine embodying our invention.

In Figures 4 and 5 is a detail of our cam and lever connections.

In Figure 3 is shown a conveyor consisting of a series of belts, I,whose outside surface has been specially treated, with emery, for thepurpose of picking a fabric piece from the pile in the special containerwhich is directly underneath and to the rear of the belts. The fabricpieces picked off of the pile designated by 2, cling to the series ofbelts l and are conveyed to the roller belts designated by 3, where itis, in turn, conveyed to the presser roller 4.

The forward and backward movement of the container, designated by 5, iscaused by the operation of levers designated by 6 and I. The levers arepinned to a rod designated by 8 and are controlled from the arm,designated by 9 which is pinned to the rod 8.

Figures 4 and 5 are a portion of the side of our machine containing theoperation of our side arm lever, designated by l0. Connected to the samerod as lever I0 is the arm designated by I I, which is the connectionbetween the rod and the box cam 12. The function of the lever isperformed by moving back, causing the spring end, designated by E3, torelease itself from the teeth on the container rack, designated by Hi,through pressure against the block designated by [5. A short rise in thebox cam I2 causes the levers to release the container allowing it tocome forward so the fabric pieces in said container press against thepicker-off belts and when the roller passes the rise, the levers forcethe container back in order to give the piece of fabric, just picked up,clearance from the rest of the fabric pieces in the stack pile. When therise of the cam has passed, the lever returns to its original positionand the container, designated by I6, is forced back in order to give thefabric piece, which has just been picked up, freedom to move throughfreely. After the clearance of the piece of fabric, the operation isrepeated until the supply in the container has been exhausted. Thecontainer, l6, operates on a setof tracks, one side of which is showndesignated by IT. These tracks are grooved so that the wheels of thecontainer may set firmly. These tracks are also adjustable for thegreater or lesser degree of gravity feed for the container. The tracksare attached to the frame at the points designated by l8 and I9. Thetrack at point I8 is pinnedbut at point IS the joint may be loosened sothat the track may be raised or lowered in the slotted portion of theframe designated by 20. The tracks are made adjustable due to thevarying weights of the different types of fabrics. A stack of heavyfabric pieces would require less pitch than a stack of light fabricpieces.

Figure 1 is a side view of our machine attached to a standard ironer.The stacked fabric pieces, designated by 2|, are placed in the containerdesignated by 22. The upper portion of the fabric pieces rests againstthe back rest, designated by 23, and the tops of these pieces are in thedirect alignment with the picker-off roller and belts designated by 24.In the forward movement of the containen the stack of fabric piecespresses against the picker-off belts and is conveyed to its destination.The upper edge of the fabric piece cannot fallback when being carriedaround the roller as it has been picked up at a point which isapproximately the extreme upper edge of the fabric. We have placed ametal plate under the conveyor belts designated by 25, for the purposeof eliminating the falling of the edges of the fabric piece.

The end of this plate, as is shown in Figure 3, has fingers, designatedby 26, projecting between the carrier belts. The fingers guide the pieceof fabric material to the drum of the ironer.

Figure 2, reference character I, is a detail of our coated belt. The Vbelt has been specially coated with emery. This emery may be attached tothe belt by glue, shellac, blastings, etc. 21 designates the coating onthe outside face of the belt.

What we claim is:

1. An automatic fabric piece separator, comprising a set of adjustableinclined tracks, a container for work pieces, rearwardly inclined,standing on edge, supported for intermittent gravity movement on saidtracks to present the front piece of the pack with difierent pressuresto a friction separator.

2. In the device of claim 1, levers for releasing the container allowingit to move the work pieces toward the friction separator and then forcethe container back after an individual piece has made contact with thefriction separator.

3. In the device of claim 1, levers for releasing the container allowingit to move the work pieces

